Surf club decked by council charge

The Cabarita Surf Lifesaving Club says volunteer community groups deserve special consideration from the Tweed Shire Council.

Anthony Scully: ABC Local

The Cabarita Surf Lifesaving Club says volunteer community groups deserve special consideration from the Tweed Shire Council.

The council has decided to slug the club with a $100,000 levy for off-site parking associated with plans for an extension of the club's deck.

The club's Patrick Rafferty says it's wrong to treat the organisation like a business.

"I mean the deck extension is just going to assist us in providing more viewing area over the beach," Mr Rafferty said.

"You know most of our rescues are out of hours and you have members standing around who respond to those rescues, and the deck will also assist us in raising more funds to be able to provide the community service that we already provide," he said.

But the Tweed mayor Warren Polglase says the group has already received about $900,000 to upgrade its facilities.

He says it should not expect further concessions to enhance what is effectively an entertainment area.

"The hotel across the road would have to pay additional parking contributions if they couldn't supply the parking. We are classifying this as a very similar type of facility and consequently we don't see it as worthy of us making a contribution of the charges," Cr Polglase said.